Cooking time for a delicious snack: how long does cabbage ferment at room temperature and how to determine readiness

Properly stored sauerkraut, prepared for future use, will decorate not only your everyday, but also your holiday table. It is served as an independent dish, used for preparing salads, cabbage soup, soups, bigus, and filling for pies.

Let's figure out how long it takes to ferment cabbage at room temperature, how to choose the right variety, determine its readiness and preserve it for a long time.

How many days to ferment cabbage at home

Pickling is one of the most common ways to prepare cabbage for the winter.. Homemade sauerkraut It turns out tasty and healthy. This method of preparation has a small disadvantage - cabbage takes several days to prepare.

The fermentation period depends on several factors:

• cabbage varieties;
• quantities salt;
• temperature conditions.

Mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties are best suited for harvesting for the winter.. They have harder and juicier heads of cabbage, and when fermented they release a lot of juice. They contain more sugar, which promotes the fermentation process. The best mid-season varieties and hybrids for harvesting: Podarok, Slava, Yubileynaya F1, Belorusskaya, Dobrovodskaya. Late-ripening varieties - Belosnezhka, Amager, Turkis, Geneva F1, Moscow late.

The taste of the finished dish and its shelf life depend on the amount of salt.. The optimal dosage for pickling is 2% of the cabbage weight. That is, for 10 kg you need to use 200 g of salt.

The fermentation process proceeds best at room temperature from +18 to 22°C. Vigorous fermentation occurs within 5-6 days. At this temperature, vitamin C is preserved in the product as much as possible and microbial processes are suppressed due to the formation of acid. After 5-6 days, the container with the finished product is moved to a cool place to slow down the fermentation process.

It is believed that the most delicious snack is obtained at a temperature of +21 ° C. On the fifth day, the optimal ratio of acid and sugar is formed in it, and it acquires a salty wine taste. Further fermentation gives the product a sour-salty taste.

Higher or lower temperatures negatively affect or spoil the product. At higher temperatures, fermentation of cabbage will take place in 4-5 days, but the taste, color and quality of the finished product will be significantly inferior. Temperatures below +18°C slow down the fermentation process in the snack: it lasts from 1 to 2 months.

How to tell if cabbage has already fermented

Readiness fermented product is determined quite simply.

When gases and foam stop emitting on the surface of the snack, and the brine becomes light, the product is ready. It tastes salty and sour. The cabbage itself should be crunchy.

If a small amount of crunchy snack is left at room temperature without brining for 3 hours, and after that it will not lose its crunch, then the product is completely ready.

The readiness of the snack is indicated by a decrease in its volume.. So, for example, from 12 kg of fresh cabbage, about 10 kg of pickled product is obtained.

Monitor the readiness of the product and according to time guidelines. But it is important to consider the volume of sauerkraut. If in a large pan, the appetizer will be ready in about 5-6 days.In a 3-liter jar the process will be 2 times faster. When the allotted time has passed, the product is tasted to make sure it is ready.

General algorithm for fermenting cabbage at room temperature

To preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in cabbage, it needs to be fermented properly.

Cabbage selection

For pickling, choose heads of white cabbage of mid-season and late-ripening varieties.

Heads of early varieties are not suitable for pickling, since they contain little sugar and their leaves are too tender. When fermented, the product will turn out soft and tasteless.

Choose large white forks, because they contain more sugar, which affects the fermentation process.

The head of cabbage should be dense. The tighter it is, the better the sauerkraut will crunch.

It should taste sweetish, without bitterness, juicy and crispy.. The tastier the fresh cabbage, the tastier the final product will be.

Advice. When choosing cabbage in late autumn, make sure that the heads of cabbage are not frostbitten.

Optimal fermentation time

Sauerkraut is fermented in autumn and winter. In autumn, mid-season varieties are processed. The process begins in September; the finished product must be stored in a cool place.

Late varieties they start to ferment 2-3 months after harvest - in November, December. During storage, sugar accumulates in the heads of cabbage and they become juicier. If you prepare late varieties earlier, the fermented product will turn out to be bitter and have an unpleasant odor.

Selection of containers

Considered ideal for fermentation wooden barrel. It should be oak, birch or linden. A spruce barrel is pre-prepared. It is filled with cold water for 25 days, the water is changed every 5 days.The procedure removes resins and tannins from wood.

An alternative to wooden containers is glass jars. Cabbage is fermented in 3-liter jars, where the fermentation process takes place. After its completion, the jars are immediately put away for storage, without transferring the finished product to another container.

Ceramic dishes are suitable for fermentation. Ferment the snack in enamel buckets and pots. The dishes must be free of chips and damage, so that the lactic acid released during fermentation does not react with the metal.

Steel and aluminum containers are not suitable for fermentation. Lactic acid in such dishes reacts with metal. In this case, harmful substances are released, and the product acquires an unpleasant taste.

The use of plastic containers for fermentation is a controversial issue. Only food grade plastic is suitable for fermentation. Low-quality dishes contain harmful chemical compounds, so the fermented snack will acquire an unpleasant taste and absorb the smell of the dishes.

Cooking cabbage

The heads of cabbage selected for pickling are cleaned of the upper green leaves., remove the top 2-3 sheets. Then rinse under running water and dry with a paper towel.

The heads of cabbage are cut into 2-4 parts and shredded with a special shredder or knife. The chopped vegetable is placed in the prepared container. Each layer of cabbage is salted - 20 g of coarse salt per 1 kg of cabbage.

Advice. Do not use the stump of purchased cabbage in the preparation, as most of the nitrates accumulate in it. Iodized salt should not be used for fermentation.

Lightly tamp the cabbage mass until juice appears.. The container is not filled to the top, leaving space so that the juice released during the fermentation period does not flow out.

Add to cabbage to taste carrots, beets, berries, fruits and spices: bay leaf, allspice, dill seeds, hot pepper, cumin, anise, etc.

Oppression

When the container is filled, cover the mass on top with a plate of smaller diameter. A pressure is placed on it (a jar of water or a stone) so that the cabbage is always completely covered with juice.

Advice. Do not use metal objects as pressure or wrap them in a plastic bag so that the metal does not come into contact with the brine.

Sourdough time

The container with the workpiece is placed in a warm place. (optimal temperature from +18 to 22°C). Make sure that the product is not exposed to direct sunlight.

The first signs of fermentation - this is the appearance of gas bubbles and foam on the surface that must be removed. Twice a day, the workpiece is pierced to the bottom with a wooden skewer to release accumulated gases.

If you do not release the bitterness and do not remove the foam, the fermented product will turn out bitter. When the foam stops releasing, the fermentation process slows down, which means the product is ready.

Possible problems

If little juice is released during the first day, add water to the preparation.so that the crushed mass is completely covered.

The bitter taste of the snack indicates that During preparation, green leaves were not removed or foam was not removed from the fermented product.

If the finished snack turns out soft and does not crunch, it means there is not enough salt in it.. An excess of carrots can also soften cabbage. Not enough salt or using too much pressure will cause the cabbage to be too tough.

The appearance of mucus on the cabbage indicates that the temperature regime has been disturbed. during fermentation, you used iodized salt, added a lot of carrots, or there are chemicals in the cabbage.This snack cannot be eaten in its natural form, but it is suitable for preparing hot dishes.

At low temperatures, a film may form on the surface of the workpiece. The top layer of the product is removed, the plate and pressure are washed.

When mold appears on the surface The top layer of cabbage is discarded. Mold will not appear if you put horseradish leaves on top.

Where and how to store cooked cabbage

The finished cabbage is placed in a cellar or basement, a refrigerator or on a glazed balcony.. Store in the container in which it was prepared, or place in glass jars.

Optimal storage temperature for fermented snacks — from 0 to +2°С. At higher levels, the acidity of the product decreases and it loses its elasticity.

Shelf life in barrels at optimal temperature is 8 months, in glass jars - 6 months.

Conclusion

Pickling is one of the most popular ways to prepare cabbage for the winter. Sauerkraut is used as an independent product and as an ingredient for various dishes.

To ensure that it turns out tasty and healthy, and is preserved for a long time, the technology for preparing and storing the product is followed. Use only white cabbage of mid-season and late-ripening varieties, add the required amount of salt, and observe the temperature regime during fermentation and storage.